Musculoskeletal First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioner

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

·       To be responsible for the planning and clinical delivery of an effective, efficient therapy service in area of speciality, responding to shifting priorities and adjusting plans accordingly.

·       To perform, unsupervised, comprehensive assessment of patients, using a high level of clinical knowledge and experience. This will involve the use of advanced investigative and analytical skills interpreting and formulating diagnoses, prognoses and individual treatment programmes.

·       To have expert knowledge and in-depth experience in the therapy management of patients within area of speciality, acting as an expert for all relevant aspects of the management.

·       To provide highly specialised assessment and treatment planning for patients within the clinical area.

·       To develop new services, ways of working or extended practice based on current evidence and best practice to optimise the patient pathway.

·       To have expert knowledge and skills in the use and application of relevant equipment to enable the training of others to a given competency.

·       To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work. This includes the use of autonomy within your scope of practice. To treat patients within professional guidelines and standards as determined by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and adhere to National and local guidelines.

·       To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients, and to have expert knowledge, skills and the physical ability for the safe therapeutic handling of patients.

·       To regularly undertake measurement and evaluation of work and current practice through the use of clinical research, audit, outcome measures and evidence-based practice. From this be able to make recommendations for and implement changes to improve and develop clinical practice.

·       Where there is clinical urgency identified in cases of potential serious pathology to escalate to most appropriate clinical speciality within appropriate timescales as identified in local pathways and national guidelines.

·       Promptly identify patients with non MSK conditions and escalate accordingly for medical management.

·       To lead in the development and evaluation of appropriate pathways for suspected sinister pathology.

·       To request, interpret and act on a range of diagnostic investigations within the Scope of Speciality for the service + bloods to aid the assessment, diagnosis and appropriate management of the patients referred condition.

·       To independently screen and signpost patients appropriately for Orthopaedic procedures i.e. Therapeutic Hip Injections and to assume clinical responsibility for review and aftercare where appropriate.

·       To act as an example with regards to clinical caseload management to avoid delaying patients by prioritising clinical need and utilising appointments effectively.

·       Write up research studies and significant audit findings and seek publication in appropriate Medical journals.

·       To participate in and ensure the effective delivery of weekend or extended access FCP services as appropriate to area of speciality.

·       Be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with local Policy, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and HCPC.

·       Communicate effectively sensitive and contentious information to patients using a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to convey complex clinical information to ensure their understanding. This includes patients who may have barriers to understanding or communicating, or who may be unable to accept diagnosis, and may include the breaking of bad news.

·       To assess patient capacity, gain valid consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

·       To communicate effectively with, involve and motivate patients’ families to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of condition.

·       To communicate professionally and efficiently with administrative team to support patient pathway

·       Write sufficiently detailed clinical letters and referrals to be informative to all relevant parties where applicable.

Education and Training

 ·       Use expert knowledge to supervise, educate and assess the performance of other FCP colleagues. To support colleagues with clinical cases where appropriate through mentoring, clinical case studies and peer reviews.

·       To be a resource of expert advice, teaching and training to other members of the Multi- Disciplinary Team regarding the therapy management of patients within area of speciality.

·       To create and maintain an effective learning environment for all staff including students, ensuring all staff have access to appropriate support and supervision mechanisms, which will enhance learning.

·       ·       To demonstrate ability to perform as a clinical educator ensuring the provision of high quality practice placements which include training, supervision and written assessments for students within specialist area. Ensure relevant members of team also demonstrate these competencies, contributing to a positive learning environment for students

·       To lead in the in-service training programme by contributing to in-service training sessions, tutorials, journal club, external courses and reflective practice, and to lecture on internal and external therapy courses.

·       Be responsible for maintaining own competency through CPD activities and ensuring competencies based on HEE FCP and AP roadmap.

·       To assist in the identification of training needs within FCP service and across pathways as a whole.

Service Development

·       To use knowledge and experience regarding the operational planning and implementation of policy and service developments, to take the lead on specific projects, identifying unmet needs and limitations or gaps in service provision. This will include the provision of evidence and data to support service proposals and developments as well as the design and implementation of policies and procedures within the FCP service.

·       To use a high degree of analytical skills and judgment to plan, develop and implement strategic and operational management and delivery of the FCP service, in collaboration with clinical and operational leads.

·       To undertake the measurement and evaluation of current practices, own work and work of those within specialist area through the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with clinical specialist or manager, making recommendations for change.

·       To provide clinical and professional expertise to support planning and decisions regarding skill mix, recruitment and retention of FCP staff including involvement in recruitment processes.

·       To identify and conduct areas for appropriate service and clinical audit including the preparation of reports and findings to appropriate local, regional and national organisations, working collaboratively with other disciplines addressing areas of multi- disciplinary audit.

·       To lead implementation of new working approaches using identified recommendations from audit, research and outcome measures to make evidence based changes to clinical practice.

·       Actively participate in performance review and attend relevant groups within MSK speciality to develop improved systems of service delivery, multidisciplinary policy amendments to contribute in the development of quality initiatives, including standards of patient care and patient metrics and assisting with formulation of new care pathways and guidelines.

·       Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and risk management and apply to the work situation.